Beyond the Stars 1
by Admiral Price
Summary: My take on what happens after To the Stars. I take some liberties, so bare with me.
1. Chapter 1

Beyond the Stars

By Admiral Price

(A pen name, if you haven't guessed. I mean, what kind of parents would named their kid Admiral Price?)

"Lisa!" Rick shouted as jumped out of his Veritech. It seemed impossible. The SDF-1 had taken a direct hit, and was now slowly burning as it sank into the lake. He had feared with all his fear that she was dead. He had dreaded with all his dread that, when he had finally realized how much he cared for her, she was gone. But there she stood now, bewildered and confused as her hair danced in the wind.

"Lisa, what happened?" he asked her.

"Huh?" she responded, her eyes misty as she looked into the most recent past. 

Flashback 

"He's ramming us!" Vanessa yelled.

"Brace for impact!" Lisa ordered.

"Fifteen seconds to collision!" Kim chimed in. Just then the door flew open and a young man in his mid twenties rushed in. He was Admiral Gloval's aid, a man by the name of Greg Steinburg.

"Pull your ejection seats girls!" he yelled as he ran into the bridge. The bridge bunnies- Sammy, Vanessa, and Kim- pressed a few buttons on the side of their seats, and within seconds were flying out of the SDF-1 in specially designed ejection pods. Ten seconds remained. He looked to the side of the bridge and found that one of the ejection pods was damaged, and the other one could only fit two people. There were four people remaining on the bridge. He took Lisa by the shoulders and threw her into the capsule, his strength greatly amplified by the adrenalin flowing through his body. She landed with a thud, followed almost immediately by Claudia. The door slammed shut, and the two girls whirled to safety. They splashed in the surrounding water, and as the ship blew to pieces, swam to safety.

/Flashback 

"Oh my God…" Rick said, shocked to the core. "So Gloval is…" 

"No. His pod ejected right after our's did. A few seconds difference maybe. But if that's true, Greg didn't survive." 

"Why?"

"Because there were four one-man capsules installed on the ship's bridge: one underneath the seat of the captain, and three under the seats of the communications and radar officers. Claudia and I had to use specially installed ejection capsules to the side of the bridge. All in all it worked, but if the Admiral ejected, his capsule would be too small to take Gregwith him."

"Wow, that's sad. He really did a brave thing." Rick and Lisa both looked sadly to the ground, praying that there was some way both of them survived.

"Look! There's the Admiral's ejection module Rick!"

As the capsule pulled to shore, Rick heaved the door open. Lisa gasped as she saw the inside of the capsule, parts of it painted red with the blood of its passenger.

"You killed him!" she shouted. "You killed him!"

"Lisa, no!" Rick said, trying to calm her down.

"You killed him, you killed him!" she yelled, shaking the passenger violently. "How could you do it? How could you let him die to save yourself!" 

"I didn't do anything," she was responded to. "I couldn't do it. I tried to eject him but it all happened so fast and he pressed the button and…and…I didn't do it!"

"What happened! Tell me what happened!"

Flashback 

The Admiral remained seated calmly in his chair. He had an ejection pod situated directly below his chair, but he would not use it. Greg looked at him, and Gloval looked back, both knowing what the other had to do. Five seconds. Gloval's aid ran to the Admiral's chair and tried to reach the panel to the direct left of Gloval. Before he could press the ejection button, however, Gloval grabbed his hand and pulled him to the chair in his place. The button pressed, Lt. Steinburg was sent against his will out of the SDF-1. Gloval, by his own doing, was left to die. One second.

With a long sigh and a tip of his hat, the bridge took a direct hit from Khyron's ship.

/Flashback 

"So he gave his life up to save you…" Rick mused. Silence was his only response. Lisa and Greg hugged for what seemed to be an eternity, both lost in the grief of losing someone who was like a father to them. After five minutes a few rescue choppers reached the SDF-1 and began evacuating the survivors. Lisa and Greg were taken from the capsule and loaded onto different choppers. Greg would be transported to the medical center, while Lisa and Claudia were immediately taken to a place that was code named Point K. It was an old airport that was refitted to serve as a command base until a more permanent one could be established. They would have been given some time off, but as they landed, they soon realized that a full fledged crisis was underway. As they got off the chopper, a sergeant led them to the flight tower. There they found an old friend, one they were afraid had died.

"Captain Hayes!" exclaimed a very relieved Exedore. "We believed you and the remaining bridge crew had perished in the first attack!"

"No, we got out quite all right. But…" Lisa's voice trailed off as she tried to forget the rest of the sentence. Exedore noticed this and could not help but inquire.

"Who was it? Was it Lieutenant Steinburg?"

"No sir. It was…it was far worse. For all of us."

"Then the Admiral sacrificed the present in the hopes of a better future."

"Sir?" cut in Claudia.

"I am afraid this is not the place nor the time. Commander Breetai has been informed and his remaining fleet is on its way to the surface. I am afraid that there is quite a crisis unfolding. It seems that a series of raids on mecha warehouses have been conducted by rogue Zentradi forces."

"Hmm…Exedore, could they have enough intelligence to actually do it themselves?" 

"I'm not sure Captain, but I really have no interest in finding out at this time. Captain Hunter has been sent to lead the counter attack against them. When he finishes, we will make attempts to unravel this mystery."

"So that's where we come in. Come on honey, let's get to work." Claudia and Lisa immediately ran to the nearest command consoles and began giving battle orders.

"Radar, give me a status report," ordered Exedore

"There are three hundred battle pods in sector five and six combined sir."

"That many!"

"Yes sir, from what I can tell." 

"Claudia, you're going to have to get the destroids there in a hurry," Lisa said quickly.

"What for Lisa?"

"Because most of the veritechs were parked in the SDFs. I'll take care of getting the remaining fighters ready for a counter attack. You get the 'roids in positions."

After a flurry of transmissions, seventy destroids were already defending sector's five and six, and were soon to be accompanied by thirty VFs, including the commander of the mission, Rick Hunter. They would be helped by three hundred destroids who were on their way to the coordinates, and would reach in ten minutes. Lisa was able to contact two hundred fighters, and they would arrive in approximately thirty minutes. Breetai had also sent two hundred battlepods to help, and they would reach in fifty minutes.

"That means in an hour we'll have approximately seven hundred units in position," said Lisa.

"Yes, but that won't be nearly soon enough! The existing defenders are being heavily punished. Blocks C and D all faltering, and all other defense sections are reporting massive damage! They won't hold out for that long."

"Then allow us to offer some assistance," came a voice over the comm. unit.

"Identification?" Lisa asked.

"This is Shadow Two, acting Shadow Leader of the newly formed Shadow Squadron. Lt. Kathryn Bradley at your service madam."

"What a relief. How many fighters do you have with you Lieutenant?" 

"Twenty for right now."

"All right. Proceed to coordinates Omega Charlie Five."

"Roger that. I'm going to cut all radio contact until we engage to kinda have a surprise effect."

"Understood Lieutenant. SD- I mean Point K out."

Kathryn and her band of twenty fighters landed and assisted blocks C and D, securing them before continuing. Minutes later the hundred destroids arrived, engaging the enemy at their flank.

Rick arrived a bit later, and witnessed a stellar maneuver. Shadow Two turned around after an engagement between her battloid and an enemy battlepod that was pretty short lived. She found herself surrounded by five pods. The moment she comprehended this, the lives of her enemies ended. She launched her battloid off the ground and landed it's back into the center of the battlepoid right behind her. As she crashed into it, she fired her gun at the remaining four pods. All were destroyed, and she was unscathed. Rick shook his head, admitting that she had talent, and began to get to work.

"Max, you and Miriya cover section F. I'll lead Jack and Dick over to section E." 

He immediately divided the group and began his initial attack at section E, where seventy pods were attacking thirty destroids. The pods were concentrating so hard on the battle that they didn't notice three VFs swoop in from behind them and take out ten almost instantly. Much fighting ensued, and Rick found himself in an odd situation. All though they were outnumbered over two-to-one, the pod pilots seemed green behind the ears. They handled the pods foolishly and were easily destroyed. Max and Miriya reported similar experiences. Miriya was especially dumbfounded.

"They're either really out of practice or have had some rather bad training," she mused.

"Well, at least we've taken care of section F."

"Max! Meet me at section A immediately! It seems that the pods pulled a good one on us. They've penetrated it and are running off with some of our destroids and VFs!"

"On my way Captain."

As Rick made his way towards section A, Max and Miriya sped wildly towards them. He was too late though, and nearly fifty RDF units were stolen.

"Permission to pursue Captain Hayes!" Rick shouted.

"Negative Captain. We have fighters coming from that way, they should be able to intercept them. I'll let them know now. You get back to block D and see who needs help." 

"Roger that bridge. Skull one out."

After a little mop up, Rick, Kathryn, and the rest of the defenders tiredly returned to Point K six hours after the initial attack of Khyron's battleship. It was getting dark now, and the damage estimates were coming in. It didn't look pretty…at all. Rick settled his VF down on the landing strip in Guardian mode just as Kathryn brought her's down in a traditional landing. He sighed as he got out of the cockpit, but his lackluster mood soon lifted as he saw who was waiting for him on the strip.

"Lisa!" shouted Rick as ran towards her.

"Rick! Oh Rick! I'm so glad you're safe! Oh I missed you so much."

"I missed you too," he said, taking her into his arms. After a few blissful moments of standing there, Lisa in his arms, he finally came back to reality. "Who is that pilot?"

"Hmm? Oh, do you mean Shadow Two?"

"Yeah. She's almost as good as Max!"

"She's second in command of the newly assembled Shadow Squadron. It's an elite Squad, kind of like the Skull."

"She's quite a pilot. She wiped out ten pods in less than ten seconds on her own. Her squad was quite something too. Who's their commander?"

"Lt. Steinburg."

"Steinburg! I thought he is- was- Gloval's aid."

"He's quite a pilot you know. He took part in the fight against Dolza."

"Wow…" 

"Well, we better get inside Rick. There's a lot to get fixed." They began to walk, arm in arm, and as Rick's mind settled down from the fighting, he finally began to ask questions as they walked.

"Any word from the hospital? Do we know who survived and who didn't?"

"Yes…but the figures aren't pretty. Most of the people died on the SDFs. Dr. Lang and his crew was wiped out. The engineering and maintenance crews were killed completely. The bridge seemed to get out, except that Kim and Sammy are both still unconscious. It seems like their pods were hit by debris from the SDF-1. Venessa has a broken leg, and should be in the hospital for a while longer. Claudia and I suffered a few scratches and I have an annoying bruise on my arm, but-"

"What? You didn't show it to the doctor? Come on Lisa, let's get you to the medical facility."

"But Rick, I'll be fine!" She tried to protest, and she was not going to lose. Worse came to worse, she would pull rank on him. "Rick! There is a very important meeting that is going to take place in fifteen minutes. They've requested you to partake in it."

"Okay. But after that we're going to get you to the hospital. Oh, by the way, how's your friend?"

"Oh, Greg? He'll be fine. He got some really nasty cuts that they had to stitch up, but he'll partake in the meeting via videoconference."

"Okay then. Let's go."

The two walked off, arm in arm, anxious as to what would happen in the meeting, still numb as to what had happened. It wouldn't be till after the meeting when the weight of what had just transpired finally began to settle in.


	2. Chapter 2

The top brass of the RDF sat around a rectangular table. General Reinhardt had just arrived to lead the meeting, as had General Maistroff. The others present were Dr. Lang, Exidore, General Leonard, Commander Breetai, Rick, Lisa, and Greg. Leonard, Breetai, and Greg were represented by holographic counterparts seated on their chairs. Reinhardt sat at the head of the table. Maistroff was to his right, and Leonard's holographic image was to his left. Next to Leonard was a micronized representation Breetai, and next to Maistroff was Exidore. Rick and Lisa sat next to one another, and Greg's hologram sat across from Rick. Everyone stood as Maistroff and Reinhardt took their place at their chairs, and as they sat, the meeting finally began.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen," said an obviously distraught General Reinhardt. "I am indeed very relieved that all of you are safe. Let us observe a moment of silence in the honor of Admiral Gloval."

"Sir," interjected Lisa. "Shouldn't we wait for conclusive evidence?" 

"Like what Captain Hayes?" asked General Maistroff.

"Like-" Lisa began, but the tears in her eyes and the trembling in her voice kept her from finishing her sentence. She would refuse to let her tears fall, but the fight was taking a toll on her ability to speak.

"Like a body," Rick finished her sentence, his hand resting supportively on Lisa's shoulder.

"All the same, I believe we should have a moment of silence," said General Leonard.

"Yes sir," said a shaky Lisa as she lifted her head. When the moment of silence started, she was almost completely lost. Her eyes became misty as she disappeared in the past, her mind no longer in the room. Rick looked at her quizzically. He knew she was tough, and this show of emotion was unbecoming of her. The top brass was lost also, but they were lost more in thought than in memory.

"You have all been gathered here for a reason," started General Reinhardt, ending the moment of silence. "General Leonard, your expertise with the ground forces will be greatly helpful in the clean up of New Macross. General Maistroff, your overall knowledge and leadership will be a great asset in the next few months. Minister Exidore, your knowledge in Robotech vessels and history will be crucial. Commander Breetai, your knowledge of the Zentradi will essential. Dr. Lang, your engineering expertise has been and will be crucial, more so now than ever before. Captain Lisa Hayes, your tactical mind and determination will be of a great asset, and Captain Hunter, you are the leader of our pilots, the most respected Veritech Pilot in our forces. And there is one more: Admiral Gloval's aid, Gregory Steinberg. We believe that you can give us insight into Admiral Gloval's mind, now that he is no longer with us. I expect us to move quickly and with determination to ensure the safety of our planet. The future of our planet is in your hands. Are we ready?" 

"Yes sir," was the collective response from the group.

"Good. Let us begin with the review of today's events. Captain Hayes, will you please begin?"

"Yes sir. At 1100 hours, the renegade Khyron led an attack on the SDF-1 and SDF-2, as well as New Macross City. His attacked destroyed both the SDFs and leveled over thirty percent of New Macross. Most of the people on board the SDFs were killed. It appears that Khyron found a way to slip past our new defense systems, or else he would have been cut down before he even reached the continent. Because of this surprise attack, the SDF-1 was crippled before the fight even began. Khyron attacked our fuel cells first. The reflex furnaces chain reacted, and the ship was lost. However, the SDF-1 was able to lift off and begin its counter-attack. The power reserves only held enough protoculture for one shot. However, the shot was diverted a little to the right because of a malfunction in the aiming system. Due to this, the ship was able to begin a ramming action. Thanks to the brave actions and quick thinking of Admiral Gloval and Lieutenant Steinberg, most of the bridge was able to escape. However, the attacks had not ended yet. The mecha warehouses were raided by renegades, and though a Skull-led counter offensive was able to wipe out most of the rebels, they were still able to escape with fifty mecha. The reasons for stealing the mecha are as of yet unknown." 

Lisa sat down, her report finished. Rick smiled at her and gently squeezed her hand. She returned his smile, though weakly, and returned her gaze to Reinhardt.

"Thank you Captain. Your report brings up three questions: first and foremost, how did Khyron slip past our defenses. Second, why were the mecha stolen? Third, what do we do now? Let us deal with each question one at a time. Dr. Lang, do you have any information about Khyron's tactics?"

"Yes sir. There are two possibilities: first, Khyron could have found a way to disguise his protoculture signal. Second, there could have been a deliberate or inadvertent malfunction in the computer system of the advance warning radar and response program," said Dr. Lang.

"So either he found a way to dope the radar or there was sabotage," clarified Rick.

"Basically," affirmed the Doctor. 

"Excuse me sir," chimed in Exidore. "But I do not believe Khyron to be capable of such deception!"

"Please explain minister," said a curious Reinhardt.

"In all our past experience with Khyron, it is apparent that he believes in the superiority of the Zentradi and the use of brutality and force. He has always put very little thought into science and technology. Also, the Zentradi scientists have been experimenting with such devices for millennia, but none have ever reached a satisfactory level of functionality," continued Exidore. 

"Basically none worked," simplified Rick. Greg shook his head and Lisa smirked. The top brass, save for Breetai, seemed annoyed with Rick's need to constantly simplify things, but he was a fighter pilot after all and not some high strung general. 

"Precisely, Captain. The best they could create was a device that could cloak a battle pod or fighter, but none was powerful enough to cloak a vessel of that magnitude," said Exidore. 

"Pardon my interruption sir," began Lisa. "But then the only other option is sabotage."

"Not necessarily, Captain," chimed in Maistroff. "These systems are new, and we have not been able to test them fully as of yet. It is possible they malfunctioned at that time."

"Sir, the odds of that are-" began Rick.

"A billion-zillion to one," finished Greg, pulling a statistic that Rick had previously used to describe the odds of a coincidence in genetical engineering. "Yes, we know Rick." This drew some much light laughter from Exidore, Breetai, Lisa, and Rick. The others just looked at them and understood it was an inside joke. Reinhardt cleared his throat to express his displeasure, and the meeting continued.

"So sabotage is our best bet right now," Lisa mused out loud.

"That is quite alarming," Breetai announced. "Until now there had only be evidence of Zentradi acting out of hatred and anger violently. To think that they have grown intelligent enough to carry out such covert operations is disturbing."

"Commander, I would agree with you, but the problem is that there were no Zentradi present at the Radar facility," Leonard said. "There was great care taken to ensure only humans worked at the facility."

"I believe that information as to what happened is scarce, and thus it would be fruitless to discuss it at this time," Reinhardt suddenly said, ending the discussion. "If it is all right with you, General Leonard, I'm placing you in charge of the investigation of this matter."

"I thank you for the appointment," Leonard said, beaming. He was competent, and thus made a great selection.

"Good. Now let's move on to the next subject: why did they steal the mecha even after their commander was shot down?" Reinhardt asked, beginning the next discussion. 

"Well sir, I believe I may have something to offer there," Greg started.

"Oh? Please, by all means," Reinhardt responded.

"Thank you sir. As you know, Admiral Glovalsky had many ideas, plans, and suspicions of which he never informed anyone. However, I was more than just his aide, I was also his confidant and like his son. He trusted me with information that, to me, it has become apparent is true. Admiral Glovalsky believed that during our initial attack, 3000 ships were severely damaged and landed in Siberia to await the imminent victory of Dolza so that they could be scooped up by the Supreme Commander. When he was defeated, they started repairing their cruisers. Not too tainted by human society because of landing in such a wasteland, they still only know how to fight. I now believe that they are responsible," Greg said.

"Do you have any proof, Lieutenant?" Maistroff asked.

"Umm…no sir. All the proof has been destroyed by Khyron. However, I do know that the Admiral covertly sent a carrier with a squad of fighters and a Cat's Eye Recon unit to investigate. No one returned, and there was no return of transmissions I sent personally," Greg responded. 

"Hmm…perhaps we will send a more prominent force there to scout out the area. The RDF has little to no presence in Russia, and so we could shoot down two birds with one shot," Reinhardt suggested. "Any other ideas?"

"Sir," Breetai began. "I believe in the Lieutenant's hypothesis. Zentradi foot soldiers do not have the intellectual capacity to carry out such planned raids, nor do they have the foresight to stage something as this. Also, rebels can not wage a direct war, as this tactic would show they are preparing to do. Because of this, I agree with the Lieutenant."

"I will agree with Lord Breetai, General," Exidore said.

"Then it's settled," Maistroff said. "Who will we send?"

"I volunteer, sir," Lisa said bravely. "I would like to honor Admiral Gloval's name and take this mission for him."

"And I'll volunteer my fighter squadron for the job," Rick said. "It'll be dangerous, so it makes sense to do so."

"I also have to go, for personal reasons, sir," Greg said.

"Your offers are all accepted," Reinhardt said. "We will, of course, need to iron out the details at a later date. Until then, we will send preliminary reconnaissance vehicles to the site in question. Now for the third question: Where do we go from here? The two SDFs have been totally destroyed, and Admiral Gloval is dead- now what?" 

"On the short term sir, we should work on two things: evacuating the civilians from New Macross, and assessing the damage done to the RDF," General Maistroff said.

"Yes, I agree with the General's priorities," Exidore agreed.

"Then General Maistroff, I will put you in charge of relocating the civilians and developing a working plan of what to do with New Macross. I will head the assessing of damage myself," General Reinhardt said. "I believe that when I am done, there will be massive promotions. For some of us, it will be well deserved. For others, they will be prime opportunists. If that is all…" 

"Yes, sir," the rest of them said in unison. 

"Very well then, dismissed. Go home and rest. You all deserve it today," Reinhardt commanded.

The top brass stood first, led by Reinhardt, then followed by Maistroff and Leonard. Breetai's hologram disappeared and Exidore scurried out of the room. When Rick and Lisa left arm in arm, Lieutenant Steinberg's smiling face disappeared as well.

Rick took Lisa by the arm and led her gently to the make-shift medical center. He saw the resistance in her eyes and smiled. She was a fighting spirit, never wanting to admit that she was even hurt.

"It'll be all right Lisa," he said.

"I know," she responded. "It's just that I don't think a bruised arm is anything to get worked up about."

"Lisa! You came tumbling down a dieing space cruiser! God knows what's happened!" he retorted.

"I know, I know," she said, shaking her head. Suddenly she went weak, the adrenalin finally subsiding, and nearly collapsed in his arms. She groaned, no longer able to talk out of exhaustion and shock, and panic quickly began spreading through her body. The tears she had been holding were no longer able to stay held. They gushed forth like a fountain, and only Rick was there to comfort her.

"We better get you to the medical center fast," he said. Lifting her into his arms and gently kissing her forehead, he carried her all the way to the make-shift base's make-shift medical center.

Author's Notes

I know, I know, there's none of that lovey dovey stuff. But, I mean, their world just fell apart, do you really blame them? This was more of just an explanation chapter. The next two chapters will have the human drama. Lastly…feedback!

Also, some will be upset but I'm not going to be brutal to Minmei or Maistroff. They'll have enough external enemies to deal with ;)

Hope you enjoyed!

Yours Truly,

Admiral Price


	3. Chapter 3

Rick sat in the Doctor's office, very worried. Lisa had just collapsed in his arms, and he had to find out why. He waited patiently in the small room, until finally the door opened and the doctor came in. 

"Well Captain, I have good news and bad new. Which would you like first?" the doctor asked.

"Whichever you'd like to give me first, doctor," Rick replied.

"It's nothing major, really. Her shoulder is a little weak, and she's suffering from shock and post-traumatic stress. But she will need to stay in the hospital for at least a week," the doctor said. 

"What! Why?" Rick exclaimed.

"If you look at her medical history, you will find that Miss Hayes has been careless with her health. She never follows our advice. She never listens to doctors. After the Mars Base incident, she was told to rest her shoulder. It's been over two years Captain, and she still hasn't rested it once!" the doctor explained. "Because of this, she will be staying in the hospital so we can keep an eye on her. You can visit whenever you want to. Also, there is one other thing." 

"Yes doctor?" asked Rick, very worried about what 'the other thing' would be.

"We're going to let you tell her," the doctor said with a smirk. "Her temper is legendary, and I don't have time to recover from wounds she may inflict."

Rick and the doctor shared a little laugh, and the worry drained out of Rick's face. He shook his head and stood from his chair. The doctor called for a nurse, and she led him to Lisa's room. She was sleeping calmly, and, not wanting to disturb the rest she needed, Rick merely sat next to her. The thoughts of the last few weeks came to mind, and he sighed over his foolishness. What was wrong with him? Why couldn't he see how much Lisa loved him? And, even now, at this point, did he tell her he loved her out of sympathy, or did he really mean it? All Rick could do was rest his head back and think, about the past, the present, and the future.

Minmei. It seemed like a million years ago that she and he had been stranded in the lost corridors of the ship. Twelve days- wow. They had stayed there for twelve days, and he had grown to like her very much. She had shown such strength, such resourcefulness. She was beautiful, helpful, and kept herself busy. When he was out trying to find a way to get out, she built a tent, cooked the food, and helped in any other way possible. When he came back, she did her best to comfort him, to help him, to share his load. He had felt responsible for them being trapped in there, and then felt responsible for taking care of this girl who was only fifteen. He had one day looked deep into her eyes and remembered that she was then the most beautiful girl he knew, and that he was beginning to fall for that Minmei. But Minmei in private was much different than the Minmei in public, the Minmei who had a reputation to uphold. In public she was fickle, easily swayed. She treated him with complete indifference, even though she knew he felt something for her. He was her "good friend" in public, never letting on to the fact that she liked him a lot too. But her concern was evident when she sent Roy to make him feel better. And he could even love that Minmei. It would be harder, but he could do it.

And then came the Miss Macross contest, and that changed just about everything. She went from popular to famous over night, and for a personality like hers, it was too much for her to handle. She became conceited, too sure of her beauty and talents. No doubt that she had ample amount of both, but she began to neglect her responsibility to him because of it. He was a fighter pilot, meaning that he was constantly afraid he'd die, and he was also very busy. Still, he made time for her. She, however, had no idea of what he was going through. When Ben died, all she could talk about was herself. She had no concept of pain, only happiness. When Rick was injured, she came to visit only when Roy asked her to- she didn't even know before that! - and fell asleep on his bed! At that time, when he was infatuated with her, it seemed okay. Looking back at it from his new perspective, he saw how heartless it really was. She could only think about herself. And then there was the movie. After that, he knew he had lost her completely. Selfishness became her creed, even when she came to his house a few days ago. All she could think about was herself. She had interrupted his life, and thought only about what would please her. Rick shook his head. How could he have ever loved a creature like that? But was that really the question? Could he have lived with the Minmei like the one he had been with for twelve days? Probably, though he'd never admit it to Lisa. But even with all those faults, Minmei had her virtues. She was kind and generous, singing without charge and sharing the profits with the poor. She really did care about Rick, and it showed over the past few days. And finally, perhaps she acted selfishly only because she was so insecure inside. Could he provide her that security? He didn't know. Oh, he was so confused. He still felt something for her, but he wasn't sure what. It wasn't love, and that was the only thing he knew for sure. But who did he love? Was he even in love at that moment? Did he really love Lisa?

Lisa. There was another question all together. She fought with him consistently. Even when they first met it was on bad terms. He smiled lightly as he though back to that day. He even remembered the call-sign of the plane: VT-102. 'That old sourpuss.' Ever since that day, he called her 'that old sourpuss' when he talked about her with Roy. Truth be told, she really was an old sourpuss back then. She had no life whatsoever outside of her job. Even Claudia, Kim, Vanessa, and Sammy were her friends because they were co-workers. She really was in love with the ship. Captain Gloval was like a father to her, but she only let him draw so close because he was the Captain. Again, her job was the only thing that mattered to her. But underneath all that lay the truth: she was an insecure, tired woman who was just trying to keep from getting hurt. Her rocky relationship with her father had led her to believe she could not be loved, and her heartbreak with Karl Riber had led her to believe that she was cursed. She was cold and distant only to protect herself. Rick knew that now, but back then he had wished she would stop screaming at him for every little mistake! He couldn't really blame her though. Back then, he was immature, brash, and really, really wet-behind-the-ears. But as he matured, she became more and more attracted to him; she also became more and more mean to cover it up. But sometimes she slipped up, and he could see the warmth in her personality. When they were trapped in Dolza's ship she was authoritative and down right mean. As thing drew on, though, he could see the vulnerability in her personality. He was originally freaked out when she started crying about dropping the camera, but later on he understood that her job was the only security she had in her life. By dropping the camera she felt she had failed not only in the mission, but also in life. Afterwards, however, she saved his life and even shared a little bit of her personal side with him. Ever since then, he began feeling a strange attraction to her. She was so vulnerable, and yet she was so commanding. She seemed to be a woman of oxymorons, as if she had two personalities. She was just so confusing. But he had really grown to like her. To lose her was a thought he couldn't bare. She had led him through so many missions, saved his life so many times, and helped him sift through his feelings so many times. But did that mean he loved her? Did that mean that he could spend the rest of his life with her? Life was just so damn confusing!

"Hey Rick," came a voice. Rick turned to see who it was and found Greg Steinberg staring at him. He was startled out of his thoughts and shook his head vigorously to clear his mind before responding.

"Hi," he finally said weakly. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough to know that the rumors are all wrong: you do have a brain," Greg responded with a smirk.

Rick looked at him, and found that his name was most unbefitting. He was a good height, probably 6'1", and was in pretty good shape. The most striking thing was, however, that he was Indian. How an Indian got a name like 'Gregory Steinberg,' he didn't know.

"You're staring," Greg said, amused.

"Oh, sorry," Rick replied, again shaken out of his thoughts. "I was just thinking." 

"You're very thoughtful today," Greg said, smiling like a mad man out of amusement. "What's wrong with you?" 

"What, I can't think?" Rick responded, getting kind of annoyed.

"Oh no, no, it's not that," Greg said, deciding not to push him too much before they became better friends. "It's just that the way she described your personality didn't give much time for deep thought."

"Oh," Rick said, realizing that he had overreacted. It was true: outwardly he wasn't very thoughtful, but inside he was a very deep person. "What are you doing here anyways?"

"I heard that my sister had landed herself in 'sick bay,' so I decided to go check on her, seeing as I'm here myself," he explained.

"Oh. Umm…I hope you don't mind me asking, but I was just thinking about how an Indian might receive a name like 'Greg Steinberg,'" Rick said.

"It's a long story," Greg responded. "Want to take a walk?"

"Sure, but shouldn't you be resting?" Rick said, pointing at his bandaged arm and head.

"Oh don't worry about me," Greg said smiling. "I'm not going to be bed-rested because of a small scratch."

"Okay then, let's go," Rick said. He stood, and the two of them began walking towards the exit.

The doctor Rick spoke to spotted Greg walking and came over immediately. "Where are you going Lt.?" he asked sternly.

"Umm…bathroom?" he said with an innocent face.

"That's not funny Greg. You know you have to rest your head," the doctor scolded. 

"Oh don't get you undies in a bundle, I won't go too far for too long," Greg tried to reason.

"Fine, but this is the only time I'm allowing this," the doctor said, finally giving in.

"Thanks doc, I owe you one," Greg said with a smile. Rick and Greg started walking down the hallways, until they reached the cafeteria. Rick ordered a coffee, and Greg ordered a 'chai'- Indian tea. They took a seat on one of the empty tables and sipped their drinks.

"Firstly, I'm not Indian, I'm Pakistani," Greg began. "There are only about 250 Pakistani Jews, and I'm one of them. My great grand parents emigrated from Germany to India just a little before world war two. They had family down in India, as it was called then, and so they built a life there. Just like in Germany, though, they had to keep hidden that they were Jews. When India and Pakistan parted, they were in the side that became Pakistan, and there was too much already there for them to just up and run, so they stayed. Their wealth and power protected them from persecution, and they built a kind of Jewish community around them. Because Islam is so similar to Judaism, it was easier to live there than in a country of idol worshipers. 

When WWIII started, my father joined the Pakistani military to prove his loyalty. Can't say he wasn't discriminated against, but he still loved his country. He was killed in action, and when the Indian military captured our town…they did unspeakable things. I was educated in a British school in Pakistan, so my English has always been good. Because of that, I was able to join the Robotech academy's first class. They taught me basic flying, and then I decided I wanted to go into engineering."

"Wow," Rick said. "That's quite a story."

"Eyep," Greg agreed. "Now it's my turn to ask a question, if you don't mind. What were you thinking of so intently back there?"

"Oh, that…" Rick said, a little flustered. He needed to get it off his chest, and with the absence of Roy, he needed someone who was intelligent and wise, as well as understanding. From the stories Lisa told him of Greg, he was sure that he could trust him. For some reason he wanted to tell Greg everything, and so he began. "I'm not sure if I love Lisa."

"Is that all?" he asked sincerely.

"What do you mean, 'is that all!'" Rick exclaimed. "I just told you that I may have lied to Lisa!" 

"Well, you see, love is something so elusive, you can never be sure about it," Greg said. "You have strong feelings for her, and are very attracted to her, but you can't love someone you know next to nothing about. You need to get to know her better." 

"That's true. I mean, I know so much about Minmei. I've been through so much with her. Maybe that's why…" Rick began, but couldn't bring himself to end the sentence.

"You can't stop thinking about her, can you?" Greg asked sincerely. He set down his cup and smiled at Rick. "Do you love her?"

Rick thought about it for a while, trying to decipher his feelings. "No," he finally said. "I mean, I like her a lot. She'll always have a special place in my heart. But I don't love her."

"But if she came to you needing help, you'd protect her. If she needed support, you'd give it to her. But if she needed your love, you couldn't give it to her. You couldn't start a family with her, live your whole life with her," Greg said, describing Rick's feelings. "Yes…you love her, but as a friend. As a very good friend, but not as a lover. When you're young and naïve, it's hard to distinguish between that and love."

"How do you know?" Rick asked.

"I've been there," Greg said. "A girl from the academy, a Jennifer Smith. She was beautiful, kind, sweet, loving. But I didn't love her, I just liked her a lot. I was probably infatuated with her for a while, but I kind of mistook that for love. I learned the hard way that love is not like that. Love is selflessness, and those who can't look past themselves can't love. Love is wanting the other to be happy, even if that means you're not going to be. That's what Lisa feels. She was willing to give you up if that meant you'd be happy with Minmei. She was willing to sacrifice her life to give you happiness. If you don't love her, that's fine. But let's just keep that between you and me. Make sure she doesn't find out you don't love her yet. Get to know her better, and I swear to God and all that is holy that you'll fall for her quick."

"You swore to God," Rick mused. 

"Yep," Greg said.

"Aren't you Jewish?" Rick asked.

"I don't practice," Greg said with a smile.

"Oh," Rick said. "Sorry." 

"Now I think she should be waking up soon. We should head back," Greg stated.

"Okay," Rick agreed, standing.

"Oh, Rick, can I ask you for a favor?" Greg asked. "I don't have much influence, but you do. Can I take a peek at the list of patients in the hospital? I'm looking for a particular one."

"Sure, no problem. I owe you one anyways," Rick said.

"You have no idea," Greg smiled.

"What do you mean?" Rick asked curiously.

"I'll tell you later. Let's get back quick," Greg said.

Throwing their empty cups away, the two hurried back to the medical center, passing several nurses who stopped to stare at the two handsome men walking down the hallway. When they finally arrived back in the 'sick bay,' Rick arranged for Greg to look at the list of patients. Rick noticed that Greg had a hard time hiding his nervousness and anxiousness to get a hold of that list. He put it in the back of his mind so that he could think about it later. As Greg looked down the list, his eyes lit up. 

"Hey! Looks like Lisa got a promotion!" he exclaimed and pointed to the name 'Admiral Hayes.' The doctor, drawn to the noise, came quickly and looked at Rick accusingly. 

Eager to change the subject, Rick said, "So, Lisa got a promotion, huh?"

The doctor tilted his head, not understanding what Rick meant. Greg then gave him the list and pointed to the name 'Admiral Hayes.'

"Oh, no, no," the doctor said. "That's not Captain Lisa Hayes. That's her father, Admiral Richard Hayes."

Author's Notes:

Dun dun dun dun! I wonder how Lisa'll react when she finds out her father is still alive. So, I hope you guys like the way this story is going. Once again, feedback will be appreciated. Thanks! Hope you enjoyed. 

Yours truly,

Admiral Price


	4. Chapter 4

Rick had spent the most of the past three days by Lisa's bed, only leaving when Greg or Claudia came to see her. He had become exhausted, mostly because he spent most of the time taking care of the bed ridden warrior instead of himself. Even when he did eat or sleep, it was only at Max's behest, and that too only when he threatened to call Miriya. Ironically, Greg got out of the hospital before Lisa, and had somehow convinced Rick to return to return to his quarters. Over the past three days, the RDF had decided not to move Rick out of his apartment…for the time being. Rick slowly opened the door to his apartment and entered it, the familiar scent calling him to his bed. He entered first, and then Greg after him.

"You need some sleep Rick," Greg said.

"I know, but I don't think I can," Rick responded.

"Why not?" Greg asked.

"I just don't feel right, that's all," Rick said.

"Rick, trust me, she'll be fine," Greg said with a smile.

"I know, it's just, you know," Rick stammered, trying to explain.

"You feel guilty about not loving her?" Greg asked.

"I don't know. I mean, I feel so confused still," Rick tried to explain. Over the last three days he had learned to trust Greg, and even though they hadn't known each other for too long, he felt better about him knowing that he was Lisa's friend. Greg just smiled and patted Rick and the back, then went into the kitchen to fix Rick some tea. 

"Where do you keep your tea bags Rick?" he asked from the kitchen.

"I don't. I use the powder," Rick answered.

"Blast! That's okay, I'll manage," he said.

Five minutes later, Greg emerged from the kitchen with two cups of tea and some English biscuits on a tray, and set the tray down on a table. Rick and Greg sat around the table, took the tea in hand, and started to talk about nothing in particular.

"So how's Max doing?" Greg asked. 

"Not too bad," Rick responded. "Miriya and he are heading the damage control operation. They're probably at HQ right now."

"What do you think they'll find?" Greg questioned.

"I don't know, but whatever it is, it'll be bad," Rick said. "But, hey, it's Max. He should be fine. I've heard rumors that they're trying to give him a squadron." 

"They aren't rumors. I've heard personally from Reinhardt. He was asking me what Glovalsky thought of Max. I told him that he thought Max was the most brilliant pilot he had ever seen. He asked me about responsibility, and I told him that he handled himself very well when given the chance. I think he's going to give him a squadron."

"It'll be a long time coming. Max deserved one a long time ago."

"Yeah, it's kinda like Lisa and her first command. She deserved one a long time ago, probably right after the big battle. But Glovalsky was always helpless when the others refused to promote her."

"Lisa…" 

"I'm sorry, but if you hang around me, you're going to hear a lot about Lisa, the military, and Glovalsky. Lisa and the military are the only constants in my life."

"How did you two meet?"

"Well-"

Just then the doorbell rang, and the two men stared awkwardly at the door. Max was away on mission, as was Miriya, and Claudia was with Lisa in the hospital. Any high brass would have called before coming, and the bunnies were still in the hospital. Rick slowly got up, a weird feeling in the back of his mind, and told Greg to hold his thought as he'd just check the door. As he opened it, his mouth dropped to the floor, and he barely knew what to say.

"Hey Rick," said Minmei.

"H…h…hi," Rick stuttered. 

"Can I come in Rick? It's snowing," she asked. 

"Su…sure, I think," he said, not so confident. He let her in and closed the door, looked at Greg with wide eyes and shrugged.

"Miss Minmei," he said, nodding. "May I ask you for a favor?"

Rick's eyes widened as Greg reached to his back, where his gun was and pulled something. As he brought it back, Rick dove at Minmei screamed, "No!"

"Um…can I have your autograph?" Greg said, confused, holding a handkerchief in his hand.

"Oh," Rick sighed. "I thought you were going to kill her."

"What? With you as a witness?" he asked with a smirk.

"Who are you?" Minmei finally asked.

"Oh, I'm sorry, formal introductions aren't exactly flyboy's forte," Greg smiled.

"Oh, umm…well, Minmei, this is Greg Steinberg. Greg, this is Lynn Minmei," Rick said clumsily, once he stood up.

"Pleased to meet you ma'am," Greg said.

"The pleasure's all mine," Minmei said, completely unsure as to what was going on. She turned to Rick and said, "Can I have some time alone with you?" 

"Umm, Greg?" Rick asked.

"Sure thing," Greg smiled as he left.

"Who is that?" Minmei asked as he finally left.

"Oh, that Lieutenant Steinberg, a friend…" Rick deliberated whether or not to tell her he was Lisa's friend. "A friend of mine."

"Oh. You never mentioned him before,"

"Even if I had, would she have remembered?"

"No, I haven't. I met him a few days ago. He was the Admiral's aide"

"Oh…the Admiral. Is he…Rick is Gloval…"

"Yes Minmei. All signs are pointing that way."

"Oh no!" 

"It's terrible, really. When the military needs its hero most…"

They were both silent for a while, thinking about Gloval. Though neither of them had known him particularly well, they, like most of the world, felt great remorse at his passing. But finally Minmei sighed, breaking the silence, and Rick thought it was best if he spoke first. His choice of words, however, weren't the best.

"How have you been Minmei?"

"I've missed you Rick. It's only been four days, but I've missed you."

"I...I don't know Minmei. I'm so confused."

"I went back to the restaurant, but I didn't feel like staying there. I don't know what I was thinking. I love you Rick. I love you so much!" 

"Minmei! Didn't you hear anything I said? I don't know."

"Rick, you can't do this to me! You've loved me for three years! Three whole years! And after all this time I'm telling you I love you too. You can't turn me away Rick. It's not fair"

"Why not Minmei? Now do you know how I've felt for four years? How isn't it fair?"

"Because we belong together Rick! I'm sorry if I hurt you, but I didn't want to. I love you Rick, and I want you to love me too!"

She threw herself at him, wrapped her hands around her waist, and cried. Rick was stunned, and he didn't know what to do. He was so utterly confused. But he didn't have much time to react. The door to his apartment opened, and the worst thing that could have happened took place.

"Surprise!" shouted Claudia as she pulled Lisa into the apartment.

"We thought we'd sur-" Lisa began before she realized what was going on. But when she did, she launched out of Claudia's arms and began to run aimlessly down the streets of New Macross City, a stream of tears following her footsteps.

"Lisa, wait!" Rick shouted as he tried to run after her, but Minmei held onto him tight.

"You can't go Rick! You belong with me! You said so yourself!" she yelled.

"What! I never said anything like that!" Rick shouted in surprised.

"You told me that you didn't care about her! You told me that you wanted me, me!" she continued to yell. Greg was now in the room, and he was surprised because he had tried his best not to hear their private conversation. 

"You bastard!" yelled Claudia as she ran after Lisa, who by now was out of sight.

"Minmei get off me!" Rick yelled, trying to pry him off her. But he was unsuccessful. She clung onto him like there was no one else in her life, like her life revolved completely around Minmei. "Minmei, Let go!"

"No!" she yelled. "You can't leave me!" After a long time of trying to pry her, Rick realized that it was helpless. He looked at Greg hopelessly, who returned his look of confusion.

"I can't go after Lisa with Minmei like this," he finally said.

"I know," Greg understood. "You stay with her, she needs you a bit more right now. I'll go after Lisa. I think I'm the only one who knows where she'd be."

"I'm sorry," Rick said. "I'll have to drop her home or she'll die on her way there."

"It's not your fault," Greg said before he got in his car and sped off, chasing after Lisa.

When he left, Rick was left alone with Minmei. She looked at him, her eyes filled with tears of sadness and…something else.

"Let me stay Rick."

"I can't do that Minmei, you know that."

"Why not Rick? She doesn't own you. You don't even love her!"

"I…I…" 

"And you can't deny it, because it's true." 

"I want to give a relationship with Lisa a try, Minmei. You have to understand that."

"Why do you want to try Rick! Why do I have to understand that!"

"Because she loves me, Minmei. She loves me."

"But so do I! What's the difference?"

"Because she's…I'm…you…"

"See! You can't explain it! I'm the one Rick! I'm the one for you!"

"I can't hurt her, Minmei, that's why. She's important to me. That's it! Lisa's important to me! Minmei, I'm going to have to drop you off. I'm sorry, but you can't stay here."

Minmei finally gave in, realizing that she couldn't change Rick's mind. Perhaps she could make him stay the night? She would just have to try. And as Rick drove through the streets that separated his house and the restaurant, she kept scheming of a way to try and keep him. And then she remembered something. Of course! That was why she came in the first place! She had gotten so caught up with her emotions that she had forgotten. So as Rick drove, she began to plan the perfect way to tell him, to figure out the best way to break it to him, to make him give that girl up and stay with her.

"Hey," Greg said as he wrapped his coat around Lisa's shoulders. "It's late."

"How did you know I'd be here?" Lisa said in between sobs. The tears shone in the moon light as it danced gracefully off the ruins of the SDF-1 and 2. She buried her face in her arms and sobbed quietly.

"Hey, it's me. I'd know where you were no matter what. That's what brothers are for." 

"How could you? How could you?"

"How could I what? How could I stand by and watch him talk to an old friend? How could I stand back and watch him tell her what he felt? Because he deserves it. He needs to tell her that he's with you now, that he feels for you."

"He feels for her, not me."

"No, he feels for you Lisa. Believe me. I've been around him for a few days, and I already know that he's one of the most honest people I've ever met. He feels for you."

"Then what was all that?"

"You have a habit of walking in on people at the wrong time. Either way, you'll have to talk to him about it tomorrow."

"I don't think I can." 

"You'll have to. I'll set it up, you don't worry about a thing."

Greg smiled, thinking about what he could do to make her feel better. Suddenly, a thought jumped into his mind. Of course! She had missed him so much…

"Lisa, come with me."

Greg led Lisa to his car and drove her to the hospital, where he took her to a private room in the rehabilitation unit. She opened the door and came in.

"Lisa!" a voice cried. "Lisa! It really is you! I thought you died! Lisa dear!"

All Lisa could do was gasp before she ran to her father's arms.

"Won't you come in Rick?" Minmei asked.

"No Minmei. I have to go," he said.

"Rick, I have to tell you something before you go."

"What is it Minmei?"

Rick was getting impatient as he stood outside the restaurant, leaning on his car. Minmei was still sitting in his car, and was taking her time to get out.

"Rick…"

"What? Just come out with it!"

Minmei winced, her innocent face full with hurt as she looked away from him.

"I'm sorry Minmei. It's just been a really crazy week. What is it? You look worried. Is everything okay?"

"Rick…I'm pregnant, and there's no doubt that it's yours."

Author's Notes

Wow…I just dropped two very big rocks in one chapter. I'm sorry it was kinda uninspired, but I did my best. Hope you enjoyed! Also, on another note, I know that Greg seems like the perfect character right now, but just you wait till the next chapter, hehehe. Anyways, feedback needed! 

Hope you enjoyed!

Yours truly,

AP


	5. Chapter 5

BEEEEEEP! BEEEEEEP! BEEEEEEP! BEEEEEEP!

"What?" Rick said groggily as he got out of bed. Rather, as he tried to get out of bed. The moment his feet touched the floor and he pulled himself on top of them, he came tumbling down. His head pounded like the drums of war on the battle field; his stomach felt like rollercoaster on a busy afternoon in summer. He looked around as best he could to find the source of the noise, and through the blistering head ache and terrible nauseated feeling, found the phone ringing like it had gone mad. It just didn't stop! The call would end, and then start again. Rick painfully crawled to it, and finally picked it up.

"Cap" he started, barely able to get the words out of his mouth. "Ri Hute"

"Captain! We're under attack! Scramble!" an unfamiliar voice yelled from the other side. However, much to her dismay, Rick barely even made out what she was saying.

"Cn ye ple pet tht?" he tried to say, but even that was not well formulated.

"Captain Hunter! We are UNDER ATTACK! Get a hold of yourself you drunk!" the voice yelled as the phone call ended. Again, Rick had no clue what she was talking about. Who was 'we' and why had she called him a 'drunk?' All he could do was try to get up.

"Who the hell was that?" Greg asked from the other room, obviously annoyed that he was waken up at seven AM by the phone. Rick looked up at him and tried to say something, but all he could make out was groans and babbles. Greg stared at him and realized that Rick should have been dead by this time, but instead was just SEVERELY incapacitated. "No way in hell I'm leaving you with that girl again. I come back and you're lying there, passed out, with the door swung wide open, and now you can't even talk!"

Greg picked up Rick from the floor and put him back on his bed, tucked him in, and went to the medicine cabinet. From there he took out three anti-hangover pills and came back, forced them in Rick's mouth, and made him swallow them with water. Rick almost puked, but had enough sense to hold it in.

"Who was it Rick?" Greg asked again. Rick was still suffering, and it would take him some time to get back to normal. "At this rate, even a week may not be enough."

BEEEEEEP! BEEEEEEP! BEEEEEEP!

This time Greg picked up the phone and answered it, wondering who the hell would be calling at that hour.

"Lieutenant Greg Steinberg," he said.

"Greg! What the hell are you doing there!" a voice asked, a different one from last time.

"I'm trying to keep Rick alive," he said casually. "What's wrong Sabrina? You sound…tense."

"Well I sure as hell hope I do! We're under freakin' attack! Get your butt over here now you bum! Shadow is on its way, and so is Skull. Get Rick and your butts here now!" Sabrina yelled.

"Did you talk to Rick?" he asked, wondering how she could have talked to him and not known that he was completely incapacitated.

"No. Claudia did. She said he was hung over," she yelled.

"He's a bit passed hung over. I'll tell him to get ready, but I doubt he'll make it. But I'll be there in about five. Just hang in there Sabby," he said before putting the phone down. He knew she hated being called "Sabby" and he liked it for that reason.

"Rick, we're under attack, so if you can get ready, do it. If you can't, don't," he said as he ran off to get to his car.

"Shadow Leader you are clear for takeoff," Sabrina chimed into the video monitor.

"Roger that control," Greg said. "Sabrina, where's my squadron?"

"They are engaging the enemy in the city's fourth quadrant, sector five."

"Hold that thought Lieutenant. The runway's about to come under attack."

And he was right. Five or six battlepods made their way towards his runway, and Greg had to think fast. He slid the lever "B" and swiftly converted his modified VF-1J into battloid mode and fired his thrusters. He was lifted a few meters into the air, and the craft began a hover, waiting for the pods. They weren't going to disappoint either. In a V-wing formation they came, charging like mad dogs. Greg shook his head as he fired the gun from sniper mode, easily picking off the front pod. The others continued their attack, not even flinching, and Greg knew exactly what he would do. Before they began their barrage of random fire, Greg converted to fighter mode and zoomed at high speeds meters above the ground. The pods still charged in V formation- though the tip of the V was missing- and Greg fit the fighter tightly through the opening. Before he whipped through, however, he released a barrage of missles at point blank range. As his fighter sped towards the fighting in the clouds, he left five explosions as gifts for the flight tower at Point K.

"You were saying Sabrina?"

"Nice lift off."

"Wouldn't have it any other way."

"Anyways, your squadron is engaging the enemy in fourth quadrant, sector five. Commander Sterling led Skull is mopping up in sector three, and then they should join you. The other squadrons are taking care of some bigger fighting out in the first quadrant."

"Why are Skull and Shadow away from the real good stuff?"

"Because those groups snuck up on us and raided warehouses. Also, both squadrons got up late."

"Wow. Sorry about that."

"Just get to sector five."

"Wait…something's coming up on the radar…SABRINA! IT'S A BOMB!"

Greg turned his fighter around just in time to watch three large blasts rip through the control tower, throwing people from the windows and piling smoke out of the radar tower. All communication between the tower and the fighters was lost, and Greg tried hard to punch through an open communication to all Veritechs. The confusion took its toll on the fighting. Within seconds the winning Robotech Defense Forces were being wiped out. The confusion led to breaks in assignments, inadequate reinforcements, and breaks in security. Finally he got it, and as the battle turned against them, he spoke.

"Skull and Shadow to sector one, now!"

"What about the warehouses?" Kathryn asked.

"No time. Go, or Point K will be wiped out," Greg commanded.

"Greg, this is Max. We lost communication with the tower a few minutes ago. Is everything okay?"

"Max, the tower just took a direct hit. The reading said it was bombs, but it could have also been close range missiles. Either way, we're going to need someone to take advantage of short range radar and act as mission command."

"I'll do it," a new voice said over the com.

"Rick! Good timing bud."

"I'm the one with most battle experience. And after that maneuver I'm sure you can more than take my place."

"Doubt it kid, but I won't refuse a compliment."

"Let's go already G!"

"Sure thing Kathy. You get Shadow out of Sector Four and I'll meet you in Sector One."

"I'll take Skull to Sector Two and try a flanking action."

"All right Rick. But who's going to do the flight control then?"

"Miriya could. She's had some experience with leading large groups in combat," Max offered.

"How about it Miriya?" asked Rick.

"I will try not to disappoint you," she said coolly.

"Then cut the chatter and initiate radio silence to conceal your actions. We'll have them distracted enough for you," Greg said.

Rick and Skull signed off the radio, and Greg made a quick fly-by of tower to get a look at the damage. Meanwhile, the Skull positioned itself in Sector two, directly behind the pods, and the Shadow caught up with Greg at Sector one. Miriya re-organized the defense forces and the battle on the ground in front of Point K began to stabilize. The RDF's Battloids and the many destroids crouched behind cover and returned fire, reinforcing breaches in defense and reestablishing solid lines. Miriya was doing well. Meanwhile, Greg led the Shadow straight into the fray. They transformed into battloid mode and formed three wings, each responsible for another area. Greg gave the order, and the three wings attacked different parts of the rebel formation. Even though most of the defending defense forces were crouched behind cover, the Shadow valiantly raced towards the Zentradi lines. Transforming to Guardian, they released a salvo of missiles to cover their approach, and moved close enough for close range combat in Battloid mode. After five minutes of brutal combat, Shadows three and five were down, and the Zentradi front line had been pushed back.

"Now Rick!" shouted Greg over the comm. Responding to his call, Rick morphed the hiding battloids of Skull into a formidable formation of ferocious fighters. They approached fast, and within seconds had the Zentrendi lines under a full barrage of missiles and gun fire, striking confusion and fear in them. They turned fast, and like raw recruits, began a full fledged retreat. The Shadow and Skull pursued and managed to capture a few pods, and brought them back to Point K. The enemy attack repulsed for the moment, Rick switched his civilian communicator back on.

"Rick Hunter, Captain Rick Hunter!" a voice shouted from it.

"What is it?" he answered, a little concerned.

"Sir! The hospital's been bombed!" the voice replied.

"What!" he shrieked.

"Yes sir! The west wing is completely gone! Captain and Admiral Hayes were in the East, but they're fine. However, Commanders Leeds, Porter, and Valentine are all missing," the voice said desperately. "We need fighters here to organize a rescue now!"

"What happened there!" Rick shouted.

"I don't know sir, but they were bombs, not pods, that's for certain," the voice replied.

A little more calm knowing that the hospital was now out of danger, Rick brought his fighter around and shot off towards the hospital.

"Skull, this is Hunter. We are directed to perform a search and rescue operation at the hospital. Form around my wing and follow me," Rick said. He switched to a private channel and saw Greg's concerned face. "She's fine Greg. But…friends are missing."

"It's not that Rick," Greg said somberly. "I just talked to the Lieutenant in charge of the rescue op. at Point K. He said Sabrina's been badly injured, and Claudia. Rick, Claudia's dead."

Author's Notes

Wow….another big chapter. Oh well, just keep reading to find out what happens, that's all I can say. This is turning into a VERY intense chapter, isn't it? More on Greg's character next chapter. Don't worry, I'll work on a Rick/Lisa seen next time too. It's kinda escaped a little cause they're a 'little' preoccupied, haha. Feedback is requested. Also, I think this is the shortest chapter I've written thus far. I don't know if that's good or bad…


	6. Chapter 6

(Before I begin, I'd just like to say taht there is a really nice mood setting song i'm using in this chapter, so if you want to listen to it, I hightly recommend it. To listen to the song, go to and search "Aa mere pyar ki khusboo" I really recomend this: it'll set a good mood.)

"Reservation for Sterling," Rick said.

"Ahh yes. Velcome Mr. Hunter, Mrs. Hunter," the Indian waiter said.

"Oh no," Lisa blushed. "We're not married."

"Ah! Pardon me, that is how it was reserved," the waiter said.

"I'm going to kill Max," Rick said. Before Lisa could reply, the waiter led them to their private table. Rick looked at it and almost ran out of the restaraunt. There was no table, no chairs, no candles. The room was like a holographic museaum. The walls showed a constant hologram of the Taj Mahal and its immediate surroudings. Lisa gasped as she looked around in wonder. The room was designed to make you feel as if you were eating in front of the Taj Mahal during the sunset. Light lazily danced in the pool built in front of the Mahal, and brilliantly shone of the pure marble structure. Birds could be heard singing away in the distance, and a melody of the Sitar and Tabla played ever so softly, filling the room with a wonderful romantic atmosphere. As they entered the room, the door behind them closed, and the illusion was complete. And then the song started.

_Aa mere pyar ki khushbu_

_Manzil peh tujhe panchai_

_Chalta Chal hum rahe_

_Yeh zulf keh sa-eh sa-eh_

_Aa mere pyar ki khusbu_

The words intrigued Lisa, and she made a mental note to ask the waiter what it meant.

"Umm, one problem sir," Rick said, breaking the breathtaking silence. "Where do we sit."

And indeed, that was a problem. There was no table, and there were no chairs. However, a very lavish red persian carpet was spread across the floor, and upon it were two beautiful redish cushions facing each other.

"Today, you will not eat like American comminers," the waiter said with a smile. "You will eat like Mughul kings."

"So where does that place us?"

"On the cushions."

The cushions facing each other were no more than a foot apart, making it easy for Lisa and Rick to freely interact with eachother. It was actually a very good set up, but Rick still didn't understand how they would eat.

"All questions will be answered in due time," the waiter said. "For now, you must sit down."

Rick and Lisa sat on the cushions, and ordered two waters (Rick was specially told not to let Lisa drink; she couldn't handle it). When the waiter returned, he carried a beautiful pitcher and two rather small clay cups. Everything had extremely delicate and gentle art work painted on it, the utmost attention obviously payed on the smallest of details.

"This is beautiful!" Lisa said.

"Yes, yes it is," Rick said. He was rather confused however. How was he going to pay for this!

"Under the Mughul Empire, it can be argued that India truly reached its height of power. For two hundred years, it was the envy of the world, the capitol of culture," the waiter said. "These small items are all that remain of it now, I'm afraid. But history will always remember them as the ones who cultured the British."

Rick and Lisa chuckled at his joke and happily sipped their water. And then Lisa remembered.

"I'm sorry, but what does the song mean?"

"Oh it is beautiful. Let me explain. It says:

The fragrance of my love

Will lead you to me

Keep walking, for we are companions

Under the guidance of my hair

The fragrance of my love

Will lead you to me

I shine like the sun

But I have no ability to burn

Or turn into a flame and harm

I have no such ability

That which burns the eyes

Oh the fragrance of my love

I am the star of the night's eye

I am the giver of light

I wake in the heart of the night

When all else is the asleep

That is when I remember you

Oh the fragrance of my love

Why do you not understand me?

If only you knew how to defrintiate

You could say with great justice

If this (my love) was stone or pearl

My love will explain to you

Oh the frangrance of my love"

"That's beautiful," Lisa said.

Rick didn't understand it one bit, but smiled and nodded. "It sure is."

As the waiter finished explaining, two virtual menus appeared, and the couple happily read through it. After much deliberation and help from the waiter, they ordered a Lamb Karhai and a Jalfrazi.

Shortly there after, two metal bowls arrived, filled with what seemed to be curry. Two large round breads called Naan arrived with it, and Rick stared at it, wondering what to do.

"You eat with it," Lisa said. She tore of a piece of bread and dipped it into the curry, using it like a spoon, and ate it. "Mmm! This is amazing!"

Rick sighed and dug in as well, dipping some bread into the Karhai and letting it absorb the sauce. He tore a piece of meat with the soggy bread and ate it. Delicious it was, but completely foriegn to him.

"This is how kings ate?" he said.

Lisa laughed at his joke and took some time to respond as she almost chocked on her food. "It just takes a while to get used to. But the food is excellent."

"Sure. I havn't had better in my life. But it's just very..."

"Indian."

"Right. I'm kind of used to American. I kinda like American."

"Oh where's the pilot in you? In the plane you can't stop going at new speeds and trying some stupid maneuver or the other. But in food you like your steak and fries night after night?"

"Not night after night. I may go with a steak and cheese sometimes."

Lisa laughed again, and as their eyes met, her mouth closed, her words forgotten, her surrounding inconsequential. They could have been sitting on a bench in Central Park instead of the most expensive restaraunt in Macross City, but she wouldn't have knonw it. All that mattered was the pair of blue eyes staring back at her. The moment was broken however as a new song started, this one with a rather loud begining, startling both of them out of their trance liike state.

"So how do you konw how to eat like an Indian?" Rick asked, trying to recover from the moment that had left him almost breathless. In his heart, however, he felt himself falling for her every time he looked into those eyes.

"My father had a really good Indian friend. And let me tell you, Indians like nothing better than their own food. They'll have it for lunch and then take you out to an Indian restaraunt for dinner."

Rick chuckled and sipped his water, and looked at her. Lisa was not by any stretch of the imagination Miss Macross, but she wasn't ugly either. In fact, she was quite attractive, but only when she wanted to be. She spent so much time trying to hide herself, that she was usually overlooked. He had asked himself over and over again why he hadn't noticed her before, and he had finally come to a conclusion. Men are fickle. No really. They notice only that which is apparent, beautiful, worth gawking at. And when the most beautiful girl in the ship is teasinig you, how do you notice someone like Lisa. For most pilots, and for a while this was true for him too, beauty mattered more than substance. Though Lisa had so much more to her, she lost herself in her own insecurity, and that made her invisible to Rick. Until now. Those eyes, God those eyes. They were fire and water all at the same time. They invigorated and calmed together, filled with happiness and sadness all at once. He could barely look at them without understanding her better, without understanding himself better.

"Rick?" Lisa said. "Rick I've been calling your name for a while now. Are you okay?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, sorry. I was just thinking about how beautiful you are."

"You don't have to lie Rick. Everyone knows that I'm just an ice queen."

"That's not true at all. You have one of the most vibrant pair of eyes I have ever seen. I can't believe it took me so long to see you."

"Well, pilots are known to be a bit dense."

"It wasn't just that Lisa. I took our friendship for granted. All the memories, all the times, good and bad, we spent together. I didn't realize how integral a part of me they were. I just lost track of who really mattered in my life."

"Don't beat yourself up about it Rick. You had every reason in the world to be distracted. I'm not exactly Miss Macross."

"I wasn't in love with Miss Macross. I was in love with Lynn Minmei."

Lisa winced when she heard that, and almost completely lost hope. He's going to tell me that he loves her, not me, he's goinig to tell me to go to hell. Rick immediately recognized the dying of the fire in her eyes and explained himself quick.

"If we're going to have a lasting relationship, Lisa, we have to be honest with eachother. Yes, I loved her, but that was four years ago. After that, I was chasing a dream. Sometimes you just have to move on, and I just didn't realize taht she was in love with her self."

Again Lisa winced. "So you're saying that you would have been with her if you had the chance?" The hurt was apparent in her heart.

"Don't act like you are any different Lisa."

"What do you mean!"

"Carl Riber? If he lived, you would have married him, and not even given me a second look. You know that better than anyone else."

Lisa backed off, realizing that she was acting selfish and stupid. "I'm sorry Rick, go on."

"Lisa, ever since I rescued you from Mars I was intrigued by you. You seemed so strong, but I was the only one who saw you in a time of weakness, and you hated me for it. The truth is Lisa, I started seeing you differently after that incident, and even more in Breetai's ship. When I saw you with your hair all wet, I didn't believe it was you. But you were so scared of your feelings for me, and then you were so confused with Kyle. Did you know that I was about to ask you out the day you left the ship?"

"Really?" Lisa said. She was surprised, very very surprised. She had no idea about that.

"I think if Kyle hadn't come into the picture, I would have gotten over Minmei. But you see, men are egotistical, and my ego was getting trampled on. I fell in love with Minmei again after I realized that she was getting close to Kyle. I felt as if I wasn't good enough, but Kyle was, and it hurt. That's why it took me longer to notice you. The whole time I've been fighting against Kyle for Minmei, not for Minmei alone. But now, Lisa, believe me, I am so intrigued by you. I don't know you half as well as I should. We've spent so much time together, and most of it went with me bitching about Minmei. Now that that's over, we can really start to get to know eachother, don't you think?"

Lisa started catching on to what he was saying, and he tripped up. He didn't say it exactly as Max and Greg told him to, but he did a good job. "Rick, honesty remmeber?"

"Yep."

"Do you love me?"

Rick looked at her deeply, and decided not to sugar coat it. "I don't know, but probably not."

Lisa almost cried, almost tore her hair out. After all this, still he didn't love her. "I see."

"But give me time Lisa. I've just started to notice what an amazing person you are, and I'm already loving you. If you give me time to get to know you, and agree to lower your barriers against me, I promise to Lord I will try my best to make our relationship work."

Lisa was touched, hurt, and hopeful all at the same time. All those emotions came out through her tears, but Rick didn't know why she was crying.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes. I promise Rick, as long as you promise to give me a chance."

"I already have Lisa, I already have."

The rest of the night was spent it complete peace, and the two didn't talk as friends anymore; they talked as companions.

"You have five missed messages," the answering machine said. "Message one:

Hey Greg. I'm about to take Lisa out to dinner, but I need to talk to you tomorrow, very urgent. Thanks, bye."

Message two:

Oh yeah, and make sure she doesn't find out that Claudia is probably dead. God bless her soul. Bye Greg."

Message three:

Hey G. Sabrina's making great progress and she can walk around now. You should drop by and see her. Aight, I'll catch you later. Bye!"

Message four:

Hey Greg, this is Max. We need to talk. See yah. Bye.

Message five:

Lieutenant Stienburg, General Reinhardt requires your attendance at a meeting to discuss the cause of the malfunctions as well as other things. This meeting is not official, and will not be held at Point K. Ask Captain Hayes for more details. Good day.

End of Messages."

Author's Note:

Mughul Empire: An Indian empire from 1556 till 1853. At it's peak, it controlled more than eighty percent of India and was considered the cultural, economic, and military capitol of the world. Architecture was a great point of emphisas for them. Search "Mughal Architecture" on Google image search and you'll see what I mean.

Karhai: http/ http/ An Indian instrument which is absolutely beautiful.

Tabla: Indian drums. Very VERY complex.

I wanted to give you guys a few glimpses at Indian culture and Mughal traditions, just cause I think it's one of the richest cultures in the world. I'm sorry, but I love my people! It's kind of hard for me to leave them out of a major story I'm sorry!

Again, feedback! Thanks!


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